anatomy review

LEARNING ANATOMY – CURSE? THEN A BIGGER BLESSING!

Anatomy is a sacred genesis. We ought not consider the organs of the body as the lifeless forms of a mechanical mass, but as the living, active instruments of the soul.” - Pehr Henrik Ling When people first start massage school they are thrilled to give and receive massages, but sometimes students are not so overjoyed about learning anatomy and physiology. The effort it takes to learn this new ...
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THE MIRACLE OF YOUR SKIN

Dermoneuromodulation massage continuing education
DNM is a structured, interactive approach to manual therapy that considers the nervous system of the patient - from skin cell to sense of self. We keep learning more and more about the impact of touch. There are some new ways of understanding touch that are coming from something called “Dermoneuomodulating” – quite the tongue twister! (DNM for short). DNM arises from a deeper appreciation of t...
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DON’T IGNORE THE INTERCOSTALS

Intercostal Muscles
by David Lauterstein “Anything with wings always comes down in the end”. ~ Simone Weil One of the most important groups of muscles often ignored by massage therapists is the intercostal muscles. These of course give rise to the deliciousness of “spare ribs”. But far more importantly they are core muscles involved more or less in every breath. The reluctance to work the intercostals seems to ...
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I COME OUT OF THE ILIOPSOAS CLOSET!

By David Lauterstein I’ve just taught a one-day class on the iliopsoas. It was wonderful and we explored not only the anatomy and techniques for that fascinating muscle, but equally its important neighbors. The “psoas,” because hidden and elevated to pedestal status by Rolfers and others, has enjoyed a somewhat inflated reputation. On the other hand, gluteus maximus and rectus abdominis...
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The Iliopsoas: The Irresistible Center of Existence!

by David Lauterstein There are structural theories and therapies relating to our anatomy. And there are energy theories and therapies. So far the two have been evolving in parallel, without much conscious interconnection. Yet since people are both structure and energy, it is common sense to say you are addressing health incompletely if you only work with structure or energy! It is imperative fo...
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Accuracy – The Art of Massage #4

Art and Science cannot exist but in minutely organized Particulars                                                                                             — William Blake   One of the legs we stand on is the knowledge the biological sciences give us.  If we can’t find a love and fascination for anatomy, we probably have no business being massage therapists. All the modalities band...
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“It Looks Like It’s Dancing to the Rolling Stones”

This morning I took me and my dog, Phoebe, for a walk.  I guess the opening of presents brought me back to the biggest present, my own body.  I'd been having a little back pain and hoped to relieve it by visualizing the sacrum and its ligaments.  I could feel, refreshingly, movement in that area as we walked. Then curiosity began to extend to the other bones.  It's been a while since I spent ti...
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The Most Important Muscle? – Deep Massage and the Rectus Abdominis

Forward flexion of the torso – sitting or moving in hunched over position – is the most common postural distortion.  Forward flexion may give rise to serious structural and energetic problems Leaning forward makes our back and neck work harder to keep us upright. It gives us less room for breathing – compromising nourishment to every single cell in the body.  It crowds vital organs, giving them...
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How To Give the Best Massage in the World: Intake

I just got back from the Esalen Institute.  This was my first time and I totally recommend it.  As you may recall, Esalen, in Big Sur, California is considered the birthplace of modern American massage.  When you’re there, you can almost feel the presence of ida Rolf who did her earliest trainings here and Fritz Perls, the founder of Gestlalt psychotherapy. Here you can still experience the teachi...
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Anatomy Review: Massage for the Scalenes

The scalenes are actually the uppermost of the intercostals muscles, those muscles lying between your ribs that assist inhalation and exhalation. However, big surprise, there are no ribs in the neck! Actually a number of books say the scalenes attach to the vestigial ribs of the cervical vertebrae. That is, little buds appear on the cervical vertebrae that in fish, for instance, would develop into...
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